As the newest addition to the royal family, US actress Meghan Markle made fashion headlines around the world with the stunningly simple gown she wore to wed Prince Harry in May. If you think that choosing your wedding gown is an overwhelming task, imagine the weight that royal brides have on their shoulders.
Below photo is a closer glimpse of Meghan’s sophisticated looks from the wedding ceremony to the wedding reception. Both dresses are clean and unembellished but they shout elegance and style.
From Queen Victoria to Princess Diana, Grace Kelly, Kate Middleton, and every beautiful royal bride in between, their gowns are analyzed all over the world and made to set new fashion trends in the bridal industry for decades to come. Here, we’ll run through some royal fashion tips and help you get inspired by Meghan Markle’s iconic wedding dress.
Royal Fashion Evolution
Queen Victoria was the first bride to set a fashion trend that’s still followed today. Before she chose to wear a white lace gown to wed Prince Albert, white had actually been an unpopular color for wedding dresses. Her iconic look in 1840 started the bridal gown era that still continues today. Below is a regeneration of Queen Victoria’s played by Jenna Coleman.
Another royal fashion trend for wedding dresses includes super-long trains, which was a look set by Princess Diana, who could barely fit her gown into the buggy she rode to St. Paul Cathedral. Grace Kelly set the trend of long-sleeve lace gowns with one of the most elegant wedding dresses in history.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are today’s royal trendsetters, and each bride took a much different approach to her own style. Kate Middleton opted to combine traditional lacework and fabrics with modern design and structure as a nod to the trends set by royal brides of the past with her own contemporary twist.
A few years later, Meghan Markle shone as a true modern-day royal fashion icon when she chose to wed Prince Harry in a shockingly simple gown designed by Claire Waight Keller of Givenchy.
Meghan’s Sleek and Unique Style
Long before her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle was a fashionista who was no stranger to the spotlight. Her style has always been minimalistic and sophisticated, so it makes perfect sense why she would go with such a simple yet elevated look for her royal wedding day. If you want to follow Meghan’s lead, choose sleek fabrics without any embellishments. Show off your natural beauty without all the bells and whistles.
Wedding Dress
Let us look closer on the simple yet elegant details of the duchess’s wedding dress and accessories that completed her fantastic bridal looks.
- Fabric – Accordingly, the dress was made from double-bonded silk cady softened by an underskirt in triple silk organza. Since the fabric is not stretchy and thick, the dress was designed to have a little space so that Meghan could move comfortably.
- Neckline – The bridal gown Markle wore had a Bateau or off-the-shoulder neckline which fabulously emphasizes her neck and collar bones. Reports would say that the neckline was likely to be inspired by the late British actress Audrey Hepburn who used to be Givenchy’s muse. Adding to the dress’s stunning looks would be the three-quarter sleeves.
- Silhouette – The duchess’ dress was fashioned in an A-line silhouette and flows beautifully to the ground as it ends with a dreamy train.
Bridal Headpiece
To complete her bridal look, Markle wore a five-meter silk tulle veil. Designer Keller claimed that it took almost 500 hours to accurately create each flower with silk threads and organza before sewing it on the veil. The veil was evidently longer than the train and it obviously showed lace embellishments that somehow balanced the clean and simple wedding dress.
Meghan Markle also wore a diamond tiara that was lent to her by the Queen. It was said in most reports that the Queen selected the diamond tiara that had been worn by her grandmother Queen Mary in 1932.
Wedding Shoes
Meghan’s bridal shoes were also custom-made and were designed by Keller. It was a pair of pointed satin pumps that perfectly complemented the dress.
Bridal Bouquet
In addition, Meghan’s bridal bouquet was made of flowers handpicked by Prince Harry from their private garden at Kensington Palace the day before the big day. Forget-me-nots flowers which were Princess Diana’s favorite, scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe and jasmine, and sprigs of myrtle were artistically secured together with a naturally dyed ribbon by florist Philippa Craddock.
Conclusion
If sleek and elegant are two words you’d use to describe your own sense of style, take some royal fashion tips from Meghan Markle to keep your bridal look simple and sophisticated.
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